November 5, 1898.1
the examination and the results. All that we can say is that the health of his Majesty presents no immediate danger, and that he suffers chiefly from anemia.
"
During the whole length of the visit, the Empress followed with great attention the doctor's examination and seemed re-assured by his conclusions.
Dr. Dethève and M. Vissière then retired and after having partaken of a collation offered by their Majesties, they returned to the Legation."
This letter is interesting as far as it goes, but it really tells us nothing we did not know before. The close watch which the Empress Dowager kept on Dr. Dethère's movements is quite intelligible, but after all it is impossible to be certain that it was the Emperor whom Dr. Detheve saw. It there are one or more doubles of the Emperor in the palace, they would naturally be sufficiently like him even to deceive M. de Vissière, who has only seen him previously at a distance seated cross-legged on a dais in all the immovability that Chinese etiquette demands.-N. C. Daily News.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
rest the leaders of the riotous soldiers and punish them with the utmost severity.-N. C. Daily News.
THE MOBBING OF JAPANESE IN PEKING,
The Peking correspondent of the Osaka Mainichi gives some particulars of the recent assault on Japanese by a Chinese mob in Peking, He says-Shortly after 3 p.m. on the 30th ult., Messrs. Tayama Ryosuke and Hirayama Shu, who are residing with Captain Takigawa, a naval attaché of the Japanese Legation, while on their return from Tientsin, hired a carriage at the railway station just outside the wall of Peking and proceeded into the city. The day being a festival, the streets were thronged. On seeing the carriage of the Japanese, which ap. pears to have been blocked for a moment, some one in the crowd threw a small stone into it, which was followed by a volley of abuse.from the crowd. Then stones, tiles, and earth were thrown, and the mob approached the carriage and attempted to pull its occupants out into the street. As Messrs. Tayama and Hirayama had very important documents in their luggage, they refrained from standing up and fighting in self- defence, lest the documents should fall into the hands of their assailants. Peking, 24th October.
Fortunately the Yesterday afternoon soldiers attacked the driver whipped up his horses and with some English engineers at Lukouchiao, the Peking difficulty escaped from the mob. Mr. Tayama terminus of the railway, injuring two of them received wounds on the face and right arm, and and killing one Chinese coolie.
Mr. Hirayama was struck with a half-brick Both men were covered just below the knee. with mud. They went to the yamen to appeal for protection, but could get no satisfaction. Mr. Hayashi, the Japanese Chargé d'Affaires, to Marquis Ito, had returned in the same train who had been down to Tientsin to say farewell as Messrs. Toyama and Hirayama, but he started a little before them and arrived safely at the Legation without being molested.-Kobe Chronicle
ATTACKS ON FOREIGNERS AT PEKING.
Work is suspended on the La-Han railway and the engineers have been ordered to come in. The house at Changsentien of Mr. E. G. Dunstan of the Imperial Railways has been looted. The wires have been out, and at Pao- tingfu there are eight foreign engineers to hear from.
*
Tientsin, 26th October.
A large number of braves belonging to General Tang Fu-hsiang's Kansu regiment attacked a party of Foreign employés belong. ing to the Lu-Han Railway Survey at a place on the Lukouchigo-Paoting Railway line. It is not known how many English engineers were injured, but a native secretary of the Railway Company and two workmen were killed.—N. Č. Daily News.
PLOTS AND COUNTER-PLOTS.
ANOTHER RESULT OF THE
EMPRESS DOWAGER'S
DECREES.
879
themselves temporarily scarce from their usual haunts, ~
Members of the Patriotic Association who went up to Peking for their M A. and Doctor degrees and joined the association while in the North, and instituted a branch association in Soochow, have left the city long ago and their homes are now deserted, their caretakers øven having fled for fear of being arreste tortured by the mandarins to compel them to state the whereabouts of their masters. Daily News.
THE KOREAN COFFEE POT-
CONSPIRACY.
Kim Hongnink, the principal author of the Korean coffee pot conspiracy, Kong Hongsik to whom was entrusted the execution of the plot, and Kim Jong-wha who put the poison in the coffee, were hanged on the 10th October at Seoul. Sin Kuisun, the Minister of Law had the bodies exposed in the public square where they were horribly mutilated by an infuriated mob. A passer-by who suggested that it was unnecessary to maltreat a corpse was badly handled by the crowd, who suspected him to be an accomplice in the plot, but his injuries did not prove fatal.
.!
The barbarity of Sin in giving up the bodies to the savage crowd is as shocking as it is illegal, says the Independent. On the 11th October, the Emperor, by a special decree, dismissed Sin, the Minister of Law, and Yi Inwoo, the Vice- Minister of Law, in disgrace for having allowed the mob to mangle the bodies of the criminals.
The wife of Kim Hongniuk was sentenced to he exiled for the term of three years. The denied all knowledge of the plot it is impossible reason for this decision was that though she that she was altogether ignorant of a scheme of which her husband was the author.
Sin Kaisun was the Minister of Law, who sent in a memorial to the Emperor begging him to reintroduce the law of decapitation holding that "to simply hang a traitor is not sufficient to vent the anger of men and gods and to ter- rify the hearts of rebels."
On the 16th October the Russian Minister at Seoul asked for an explanation from the Korean Government of the reason for hastening the execution of Kim Hongniuk, against the Re- gulations relating to public trials.
The French Minister has also addressed a note to the Korean Government remonstrating against the body of Kim Hongniuk having been allowed to be subjected to atrocious treat ment by the people.
THE YANGTSZE CORPORATION,
LIMITED.
Despatches to hand from Soochow state that there has been, and still is, quite a panic amongst the gentry and literati of that city owing to the Empress Dowager's decree proscribing the Pao Kuo Hui, or Patriotic Association, and ordering Peking, 26th October, via
the confiscation of the property of all banded Tientsin, 27th October.
associations together with the arrest and trial A story told this morning by a high Palace
of the leaders and members on the charge of official is to the effect that on the night of the high treason. In the early portion of the car- 23rd instant there was an attempt to place the rent year great enthasiasm pervaded all ranks son of Prince Ching on the Throne, with the
of society in Boochow for the study of Western connivance, of course, of the Empress Dowager. learning, encouraged by the Emperor's reform But the plot was not put into immediate degrees, the younger gentry and literati execution owing to the strenuous opposi their desire to educate themselves so as to keep registered by Dale and Co., 75, Cornhill, with a being expecially earnest and energetic in The Yangtze Corporation, Limited, has been tion of two Imperial Clansmen, members of the Tsungli Yamen, who declared that so
up with the practical requirements of the times, capital of £300,100 in 300,000 €1, ordinary ong as matters were as they stood the To this end and for the sake of convenience of shares and 2,000 18. deferred shares. Object, Foreign Powers could be persuaded not to locality, economy, etc., large numbers of zealous to acquire certain mines, concessions, grants, students of all classes banded themselves into decrees, and contracts in Asia, and to develop, interfere with the Empress Dowager's "Re Igenoy," but that it would be most dangerous if associations or clubs for the study of Western deal with, and turn to account the same in such some-one else were to be placed on the Throne learning, engaging of teachers, the purchase of manner as the company shall see fit. The first in place of Kwang Hsu, to whom the Foreign for their clubs such names as "The Soochow there nor more than six-are to be elected by the soientific books and instruments, etc., choosing directors of whom there shall be not less than Ministers were all accredited. It is, however, Association for Study," The New Learning signatories. Qualification, £150. Remuneration, suspected that the two Imperial Clansmen who interfered with this plot have some other pro-
Association." "The Aid to Study Association," a percentage of the profits, divisible. ject against the Emperor in mind, which they Times," etc., etc. Everything went on smoothly The Association for Keeping-up with the also wish to put into execution. Dowager, however, had to give way to these the fatal 22nd of September arrived, oreat- The Empress and great results were anticipated when Imperial Clansmen's remonstrances owing to their “superior knowledge of Foreign Affairs," ing confusion and chaos thoughout the Empire. Still, as these associations were
FIRE AT CANTON.
The fire that occurred
occurred at
Tsammuklan, Canton, on the night of the 26th October, of which
by virtue of their being Ministers of the merely founded for economy in attaining educa. of our mention was made in the letter
Tsungli Yamên.-N. C. Daily News.
DESTROYING. THE TELEGRAPH
LINES.
Peking, 27th October.
All the insulators on the telegraph poles in the vicinity of Lukou Bridge for a long dis- tance have been smashed by soldiers belonging to General Tung Fu-hsiang's Kansu corps, and when the Metropolitan Telegraph Office sent workmen to repair the damage and restore the line they were savagely attacked by the soldiers and prevented from doing the work. In answer therefore, to the petition of the Telegraph au- thorities the Ministers of the Tsungli Yamen have instructed General Tung Fu-hsiang to ar-
。
tion it was not suspected for a moment that the members of them would place themselves also under the ban, but telegrams from friends at Peking began to arrive warning all to close their clubs, etc., so that when the obnoxions decree arrived there were none to close, but still the names of the members are known to naturally caused a general panic while the everybody and the order for arresting them has
families along with them to securer asylums more prominent have either carried off their
vultures and kites of the yamens, however, have or gone alone into voluntary exile. - The
been recently roaming about eagerly seek ing for prey, anticipating rich harvests, in consequence of which even transient members of these educational clubs have had to make
correspondent, broke out in a mat-shed used for fantan gambling. A fight took place amongst the gamblers, in the course of which a kerosine lamp was upset, and the mat-shed was in flames directly. There was a strong wind blowing at the time and the fire spread rapidly, about two hundred houses being destroyed before it was got under. While the armed attacks were committed by criminals on conflagration was in progress a number of
men were wounded. houses in the neighbourhood, and several shop.
We understand that "Macomer" has been pur chased by the Humphreys Estate and Finance- Co., Limited. This gives the Company all the houses to the east of the Peak Road above the L.R.O.
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